Marine propulsion by steam-turbines.



Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

E J nventor.

M. ROELLIG.

APPLIGATIOH FILED APR. 26, 1910.

MARINE PROPULSION BY STEAM TUBBINES.

/@ GEL/ Witnesses. 512

MARTIN ROELLIG, 0E WILMERSDQBF, BERLIN, GERMANY.

MARINE raorunsron BY s'rnam-ruannvns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application filed April 25 1910. Serial No. 5573M.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN Ronnmo, a citizen of the Em ire of Germany, residin at Wilmersdorf, erlin in the Empire 0 Germany, have inventec a new and useful Marine Propulsion by Steam-Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

In the propulsion of large vessels, such as Warships and the like, by means of steam turbine engines, in order to provide for a complete and satisfactory control of the ves sel, it is customary, in some instances, to employ a plurality of screw or propeller shafts, each independently driven by a se arate en inc. This system is, however, olijectionab e for the reason that when the vessel is operated at a relatively slow speed the steam "consumption is relativel large in proportion to the ower derive thereby reducing the efficiency of the engines. In order to overcome this difiiculty It is usual,

when 'lowspeeds are desired, to stop one or more of the engines entirely, allowing the corresponding propellers to remain idle and driving the remaining engines under full premure in order to reduce the steam consumption, er horsepower-hour, which is accomplishe b the reduction of the total cross sections area for the Jassagc of the steam in the engines in accordance with the smaller steam consumption, so that throttling and leakage losses are reduced. It is also tobe noted that only a part of the con denser installation need be used. This increased elficiency is, however, largely offset by the dra or resistance of the idle propellers Whic imposes additional work upon the engines in operation, so that the power remuir'cd to propel the vessel in this manner is or er, for a. i-ven seed, than that requir to'driveal oft c shafts. For example, in a. vessel rovided with three shafts, if only one sha is positively driven, the extra power required amounts to 30% or more.

My invention has for its object to overcome the above difiiculties by providing a series of engines each comprising a plum ity of sectionsand means. for cutting out one or more'sections of each engine.

To this end the invention comprises a pipe system with sto valves connecting the severe engines and t' cir individual sections, so that by opening and closing the. several valves in certain arrangements a part of outlets of the i each engine can receive live steam and a part be shut oil, so that the total cross sectional area for the passage of steam in the several engines is reduced in accordance with the reduced steam consumption, and thus an economy in steam is elfected, which economy is not offset by any drag of idle pro ellers.

c more particular objects of the invcntion, together with means whereby the same may be carried into efi'ect, will best be understood from the following description of certain forms or embodiments thereof chosen for illustrative purposes and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a dia rammatic view of a system comprising iree propeller shafts and separate steam turbine engines having each three sections. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a system comprisnig two shafts and two engines having each two sections; and Fig.

3 is a diagrammatic view of a stem adapted for use in connection with big 1 and low pressure steam turbine engines.

In the system illustrated in Fig. l, the

three propellers P, P, P are each independently driven by one of the three separate steam turbine en ines A, A A, each of which comprises use so arate sections d, e, 7", but which may be otierwise of an suitable and approved construction. Ea of the sections d, e, f, comprises one or more turbine rin s or disks mounted on the propellenshait andoperating in. a chamber separate from the other sections. The live steam is supplied through a. main pipe a and can be admitted to the first sections 01 of the three en as A, A A, through branches and sop valves, l), b, 6' respectively, of an suitable construction. The rst sections cl of the three engines are connected by means of valves g, g, g, and branches with a main pi e c rovided with separate stop valves c an 0. he main pipe 0 in turn is connected with the inlets of the second sections a of the three engines A, A, ,A' by means of branches and valves h, h, h, of anys'uitengines by means of branchesand valves j, j, j". The outlets of the third sections 7 may be so arately connected with condensers (not siown) of any suitable construction.

The system thus far described is operated as follows: When the vessel is to be run at a low speed, the live steam is admitted to the first section (Z of any one of the three on- 'ines only, for example A, the stop valve 6 Being alone opened and the remaining stop valves 2) and 12 remaining closed. The steam leaving the first section 6! of the first engine A is not permitted to enter the second section e of the same engine, but is conducted to the inlet of the second section 1: of any of the other engines, for example A", the valves g, c, 0 and it being opened, but the other valves it, 9 If, and 9 remaining closed. The steam leaving the second sec tion 1: ol' the third engine A is then con ducted to the third section 1 of the second engine A-', the valves i 0 and 7 being alone opened, but the other valves j 2", 0*, z", and j remaining closed. The steam leaving the third section of the second engine A is then conductec to the exhaust or condenser of the latter. It will be seen that all the three propellers P, P, P are simultaneously but independently driven, the propeller P being driven by the first section at of the engine A, the propeller P, by the third section 7 of the engine A, and the propeller P by the second section of the engine A Of course the sections may also be connected to operate in an other suitable arrangement, for example, tie section (1 of the engine A the section a of the engine A, and the section of the engine A may be rendered operative and the remaining sections inoperative. When it is desired to run the vessel at a higher speed but less than the maximum, fresh steam is simultaneously admitted to the first section (Z of any two of the three engines, for example A and A, the sto valves 5 and 6 being opened and the third stop valve 6 remaining closed. The steam leavin the first sections of the two first engines K. and A is then permitted to enter the second section 6 of the third engine A and any of the first engines, for example A, the valves g, 0', k 9 a, and It being opened, but the other valves h and remaining closed. The steam leaving the second sections e of the two last engines A and A is then conducted to the third sections f of these engines in which so far the steam has been admitted to one section only, that is the engines A and A. From the third sections 7 the steam then passes to the corresponding exhausts or condensers. In this manner the steam is caused to pass through two subsequent sections of each enine It is, of course, to be understood that 51s order in which the steam passes through the various sections of the several engines may be varied for obtaining the same re sults, in man ways, as will be obvious without further description.

Fig. 2 shows a system for a vessel with two screw propellers P" and P, in which the two separate steam turbine engines A and A each comprise only two sections cl and 6, while their specific construction is otherwise immaterial to my invention. The fresh steam is supplied through a main pipe a and can be admltted to the first sections d of the two engines through valves Z) and b of any suitable construction. The outlets of the first sections cl are connected by valves 9' and g with a main pipe 0 in which a stop valve 0 may be inserted. The main pipe 0 in turn is connected by valves it and It with the inlets of the second sec tions 6, while the outlets of the latter may be connected with separate condensers (not shown) of any suitable construction. in this case at a reduced speed of the vessel the steam passes from the main pipe a" through the section (Z of the engine A to the section e of the engine A and through these to the condenser, or also in a similar manner beginning with the section 03 of the engine A.

Fig. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a system which is very simple and suitable for a vessel with three )ropellers. The three propeller shafts are c enoted by Z, 2*, Z, and are each driven by an engine comprising a high pressure section B, B, B and a low pressure section 0, C 0. The live steam is supplied through a main pipe 2 and is admitted to the three hi h pressure sections B, B 13*, through va lves g, g g. The outlets of the three high pressure sections are connected with the inlets of the corresponding low pressure sections by pipes is, In, is, respectively. The outlets of the low pressure sections C, C, G are separately connected by exhaust chambers m, m m with their condensers n, n, n of any suitable construction. In this system, according to my invention, a stop valve 0 is inserted in the pi )e In between the sections B and C of tie central engine, and the wipe k is provided with two opposite ranch connections 1" and 1 which are connected by ipes e and c with the two adjacent higli ressure sections B and B. Stop valves and P are preferably inserted between the connections r, r" and the pipes s, s. The points at which pipes s, 8 connect with the sections B, B should be so selected that the steam from the pipes s, s does not pass through the first ortions of these sections and so that the en cross sectional area 0 the central high ressure section B is approximately equa to the sum of the cross sectional areas of the two sections B and B at the oints of connection of the pipes s, a, so 5191) there will be a regular increase of the areas. At full or high speed of the vessel the steam is simultaneously admitted from the main pipe 2 to the three high pressure sections B B, B", so that the steam leaving the latter passes directly through the pipes k, k", is", to the corresponding low pressure sections C, C and thence through their exhaust chambers at m, m, m to their condensers n, n, n. If the vessel'is to run at half speed, however, the stoJ vdlve g is alone 0 ened to admitthe fresi steam to the centre high pressure section B, while the stop valve 0 is closed and the two valves 79' and p are opened, so that the steam leaving the central high pressure section B passes through the pipes s" and s to the two neighhorin high pressure sections B' and B", parts 0? which it passes through, after which it enters the pipes k and k and the corresponding low pressure sections G and C to the condensers n and n.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention contemplates so interconnecting individual turbines or groups of turbines that individual sections may be thrown out of operation, whereby a )lurality of shafts may be driven at a re uced speed, the cross sectional area the steam in the turbines being however, reduced in accordance with the reduced quantities of steam passing through. For this urpose it is not necessary that the sections in the various engine groups be equal to each other. On the contrary, for the sake for the passage of of economy, a varying division may be adopted and is in fact preferable.

I claim 1. A system of marine propulsion comprising, in combination, a plurality of'propeller shafts, a steam turbine en -ne operatively connected with each of sai shafts for independently driving the same, each of said engines comprising a plurality of separate sections, means for supplying live steam to said engines, means for shuttin oil? the supply of steam to one or more 0 the sections of each engine, and steam connections between the sections of the several engines, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. A system of marine propulsion comprising, in combination, a plurality of propellet shafts, a steam turbine en ine operatively connected with each of sai shafts for independently driving the same, each of said engines comprising a plurality of separate sections and means for conveying steam successively from one of said sections to another, means for so plying live steam independently to each OFSBJd engines, a valve or valves for controlling the passing of steam between adjacent sections in each of said engines, and steam connections betweenthe sections of the several engines, substantially as and for the pur ose set forth.

i ARTIN ROELLIG.

Witnesses:

Hun n1 HAsrnn, VVOLDEMAI: HAUPT. 

